Indians in Lagos have celebrated the ancient Dussehra Festival, which symbolises the victory of good over evil and the return of Lord Rama to Ayodhya.

Sanjay Srivastava, the president of the Overseas Friends of Bhartiya Janata Party, in a statement, said the festival was a celebration of the goddess Durga’s victory over demons.

According to Mr Srivastava, the event organised by OFBJP Nigeria had over 1,000 Indians participating on Tuesday. He said the celebration did not only showcase Indians’ rich cultural heritage but also conveyed a powerful message about the importance of practising cultural values and leaving a lasting impression on the younger generation.

Mr Srivastava highlighted the commendable efforts of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government in extending its outreach to the non-resident-Indian community.

He underscored the government’s dedication to restoring the spiritual glory of Bharat.

“As the festivities of Dussehra fade away, the OFBJP Nigeria extends warm greetings for the upcoming festival of lights, Diwali, to the Indian diaspora and the host community,” Mr Srivastava explained. “May the light of Diwali bring happiness, prosperity and vanquish the devils from everyone’s lives. We appreciate the Geeta Ashram Trust Nigeria as they have proven to be perfect hosts, providing an ideal venue for this cultural extravaganza.”

Chandramauli Kern, the consul general of India in Lagos, addressed the audience and ceremoniously burnt the effigy of Ravana while also commending the festival’s organisers.

Pravin Kumar, the general secretary of OFBJP, thanked participants, parents, choreographers and sponsors, including Speciality, Daraju Group, Deekay and Omnic groups, Green Fuel, MM Tours, GBMT, Enjoy Food, Nature and Pepsi.

(NAN)